Nursing bottle



Nov. 5, 1957 H. w. WlTZ NURSING BOTTLE Filed March 8, 1954 17 2 $7zf07i Z0. ZUZ'ZZ C A en? gw d w a 2,812,092 Patented Nov. 5, 1957 NURSING BOTTLE Henry W. Witz, Barrington, Ill., assignor'to Nursmatic Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware This invention relates to improvements in infant nursing bottles, and more particularly to a novel bottle-nipplecheck valve assembly, the check valve being responsive to alternate compression and release of the nipple to efiect a pumping action.

The assembly of the present invention is particularly well adapted to control the flow of liquids and practically eliminate air-swallowing by the infant. In use, with the bottle normally held in inverted position, when the infant applies pressure on the nipple, the check valve components, disposed adjacent the base of the nipple and the top of the bottle, become closed to prevent liquid within the nipple from returning to the bottle and to be ejected from the openings inthe tip of the nipple intothe mouth of the infant. When the infant releases pressure the checkfvalve components quickly open to permit flow of liquid from the bottle to the nipple to quickly re-fill the nipple by gravity or difference in pressure, such as partial vacuum induced by sucking, with a measured amount of the liquid such as a milk formula, juice. or water. In this manner the nipple is kept repeatedly filled and return of liquid from the nipple to the bottle prevented, venabling th'ejinfant to feed easily and with a minimum of airswallowing. i

' The components of the present invention are further characterized by their ability to be readily separated for cleansing and sterilizing and quickly and conveniently re-assembled. The components of the present invention are further characterized by their economy of construction and novel arrangement of parts, as will be apparent from a consideration ofthe following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional viewof a nursing bottle with a check valve and nipple assembly illustrating one form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the nipple in the assembly'of Fig. l, and Q q Fig. 3 is a' plan view of a check valve component thereof. 1

Fig, 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 illustrating a modified form of my invention. yr 1 Fig. 5 isa bottom plan view of the nipple in the assembly of Fig. 4, and Y i Fig. 6 is a plan view of a check valve component thereof. i i

Referring to the drawings, the assembly illustrated in Figs. Ito-3 comprises the bottle 10 formed with an inner annular shoulder 11 adjacent the upper edge or lip 12 of thebottle, forming an upwardly open cylindrical seat receiving and seating therigid disc 13 having a plurality of circumferentially arranged openings 18 therein. ,The

gliseiS Of a diameter such that it substantially but freely 1 fits within the cylindrical seat and rests on the shoulder 11, and is of a thickness less than the depth of the formed seat. The apertures 18 in the disc 13 are spaced from the center and are arranged in a pattern concentric with and adapted to overlie and to be closed by the shoulder 11, when the disc is in abutment therewith.

A nipple 14, provided with the conventional plurality of holes 15 in the tip thereof, and an outwardly projecting annular portion or flange 16 normal to the axis of the nipple, is secured to the bottle by seating its flange 16 on the bottle lip 12 and over but spaced from a peripheral portion of disc 13, and the assembly locked in position by means of the annular screw-threaded collar 17.

The inner wall of the cylindrical nipple portion 20 is of a diameter greater than that of the circle on which the disc apertures 18 are formed, so that in the assembly the disc 13 acts as a floating valve element retained between the shoulder 11, which acts as a valve component, and the flange 16. It will be understood that the apertures 18 may be of an outline other than that illustrated, and that they may, for example, be in the form of a plurality of arcuate slots.

As previously indicated, the apertured disc is composed of rigid material, and should be of a material which is sterilizable by boiling or steaming and stable in such, con dition. Thus I may use stainless steel, nylon, anodized aluminum, or the like. 4

The nipple may be formed of a material such as .conventional pure natural rubber or other synthetic-rubbers or rubber-like materials such as silicone rubber, which have resilience and flexibility, and which can be sterilized as by steaming or boiling and which remain stable under such treatment.

The valve components, i. e. the shoulder 11 and the disc 13 thus provide a check valve and diaphragm dividing the assembly'into a relatively small nipple chamber and a relatively large bottle chamber. In use with the assembly in inverted position the disc 13 is dropped'from the shoulder 11 permitting communication, by means of the apertures 18, between the bottle and the nipple and liquid from the bottle freely flows into the nipple through the disc openings 18. To aid such free flow I may provide the nipple flange 16 with one or more apertures 21 for the purpose of supplying air flow to the interior of the bottle, which may be regulated by manipulation or degree of tightness of locking collar 17.

When the nipple is compressed'by the infant in feeding, such pressure aided by the liquid in the nipple causes the disc 13 to be urged and seated against the shoulder 11 to thus close the valve and cause liquid contained in the nipple to be ejected through the nipple tip apertures 15. Release of pressure on the nipple, by the normal alternate movements of the infants mouth in sucking action, permits the disc 13 to unseat and to return to spaced relationship with the shoulder 11, and to thus again permit communication between and flow of liquid from the bottle chamber to the nipple chamber. The alternate compression and release of the nipple thuseffects'a pump.- ing action permitting. the infant to feed easily without strain ortiring and less swallowing of air.. v.

The form shown in Figs. 4 to 6 is substantially the same as that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, and operates in the same manner, but is intended to illustrate modifications in details of structure and arrangement- Thus the bottle 40 is similarly formed with an annular shoulder 41 adi s m t e upp r e e lia 4 e thebvflb ing an upwardly open cylindrical seat of limited depth freely receiving the rigid disc 43 having openings 48 therein. The disc here also is of a diameter such that it freely fits within the cylindrical seat and rests on the shoulder 41 and is of a thickness less than the depth of the formed seat, so that it may be displaced or move along the axis of the assembly.

Similarly, a nipple 44 provided with the conventional plurality of holes 45 in the tip thereof and an outwardly projecting annular or flange portion 46, normal to the axis of the nipple, is seated on the bottle lip 42 and over but spaced from a peripheral portion of disc 43. In this form the nipple has a lower extension 47 for embracing the neck of the bottle and for holding the assembly in releasably secured position, and is thus adapted for use with either Wide or narrow necked bottles.

It will be understood that as alternatives, a similar yieldable extension of the nipple could be employed in the form shown in Fig. 1, and, conversely, by dispensing therewith, a locking collar could be employed with a threaded bottle in the form shown in Fig. 4.

As distinguished from the form of Fig. 1 in this case the internal diameter of the cylindrical nipple portion 50 is smaller than the diameter of the circle on which the apertures 48 lie, and thus the flange portion 46 lies abovethe disc apertures 48. Closing of the valve, when pressure is produced in the nipple, is elfected by causing the disc to be urged against the shoulder 41, as in the case of the form of Fig. 1. In the present form, however, since the flange portion 46 overlies the apertures, a free path of communication for liquid from the bottle to the nipple, when the disc is displaced from the shoulder 41 against flange 46, is provided by forming the underface of the flange 46 with an annular groove 51 and a plurality of radial grooves 52 leading from the annular groove to the interior of the nipple, the annular groove 51 overlying the disc apertures 48. Thus a path from bottle 40 is provided through the disc aperture 48, annular nipple flange groove 51 and connecting radial grooves 52 to the nipple chamber.

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention and certain modifications thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A nursing bottle assembly, comprising a bottle, an annular shoulder within the neck of the bottle adjacent its upper edge defining an upwardly open cylindrical section, a rigid disc having. a thickness less than the depth of said section freelyreceived therein and adapted to abut against said shoulder, said disc being formed with a plurality of circumferentially arranged apertures disposed in a concentric circle of greater diameter than the internal diameter of said shoulder to be closed by said shoulder when the disc is seated thereon, and a nipple secured to said bottle, said nipple including an annular portion substantially normal to the axis thereof seated on said upper edge of the bottle and projecting radially inwardly providing an opposed abutment for said disc spaced from the apertures thereof.

2. A nursing bottle assembly, comprising a bottle, an annular shoulder within the neckofthe bottle adjacent its upper edge defining an upwardly open: cylindrical section, "a nipple secured to said bottle, said nipple including an annular portion substantially normal to the axis thereof seated on said upper edge of the bottle and projecting radially inwardly, and a rigid disc freely received within said bottle neck section having a thickness less than the depth "thereof adapted for alternate abutment against said bottle shoulder and said inwardly projecting nipple portion, said disc being formed with a plurality of circumferentially arranged apertures disposed in a concentric circle of greater diameter than the internal diameter of said shoulder to be closed by said shoulder when the disc is seated thereon and providing communication from the bottle to the nipple when unseated.

3. A nursing bottle assembly, comprising a bottle, an annular shoulder within the neck of the bottle adjacent its upper edge defining an upwardly open cylindrical section, a rigid disc having a thickness less than the depth of said section freely received therein and adapted to abut against said shoulder, said disc being formed with a plurality of circumferentially arranged apertures disposed in a concentric circle of greater diameter than the internal diameter of said shoulder to be closed by said shoulder when the disc is seated thereon, a nipple on said bottle including an annular portion substantially normal to the axis thereof seated on the upper edge of the bottle and extending radially inwardly providing an opposed abutment for said disc spaced from the apertures thereof, and an annular locking collar engaged over said nipple and in threaded engagement with said bottle releasably securing the assembly.

4. A nursing bottle assembly, comprising a bottle, an annular shoulder within the neck of the bottle adjacent its upper edge defining an upwardly open cylindrical section, a rigid disc having a thickness less than the depth of said section freely received therein and adapted to abut against said shoulder, said disc being formed with a plurality of circumferentially arranged apertures disposed in a concentric circle of greater diameter than the internal diameter of said shoulder to be closed by said shoulder when the disc is seated thereon, and a nipple on said bottle including an annular portion substantially normal to the axis thereof seated on the upper edge of the bottle and extending radially inwardly providing an opposed abutment for said disc spaced from the apertures thereof, said nipple further including a dependent skirt portion in embracing engagement with the neck of the bottle releasably securing the assembly.

5. A nursing bottle assembly, comprising a bottle, an annular shoulder, within the neck of the bottle adjacent its upper edge defining an upwardly open cylindrical section, a rigid disc having a thickness less than the depth of said section freely received therein and adapted to abut against said shoulder, said disc being formed with a plurality of circumferentially arranged apertures dis posed in a concentric circle of greater diameter than the internal diameter of said shoulder to be closed by said shoulder when the disc is seated thereon, and a nipple secured to said bottle, said nipple including a cylindrical base portion of an internal diameter smaller than the diameter of the circle on which the disc apertures lie, and an annular outward projection extending from said nipple base portion and substantially normal thereto lying on the upper edge of the bottle forming an opposed abutment for said disc, an intermediate portion of the underface of said projection being formed with an annular groove disposed for communication with the disc apertures and radial groove means leading from said annular groove to the interior of said nipple providing a free passage from the bottle to the nipple.

6. The assembly of claim 5, said nipple further including a dependent skirt portion in embracing engagement with the neck of the bottle releasably securing :the assembly.

7. The assembly of claim 5, further including a separable annular locking collar engaged over said nipple in threaded engagement with said bottle releasably securing the assembly.

8. A nursing bottle assembly, comprising a bottle, an annular shoulder within the neck of the bottle adjacent its upper edge defining an upwardly open cylindrical section, a rigid disc having a thickness less than the depth of said section freely received therein and adapted to abut against said shoulder, said disc being formed with a plurality of circumferentially arranged apertures dis posed in a concentric circle of greater diameter than the internal diameter of said shoulder, said apertures being adapted to be closed by said shoulder when the disc is seated thereon, and a nipple secured to said bottle, said nipple including a cylindrical base portion of an internal diameter greater than the internal diameter of said upwardly open annular shoulder section and an outwardly projecting flange portion seated on the upper edge of the bottle forming an opposed abutment for said disc, the diameter of said cylindrical nipple base portion being greater than the diameter of the circle on which the disc apertures lie providing a free passage from the bottle to the nipple through the disc apertures when the disc is spaced from said shoulder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 542,068 Skall July 2, 1895 1,134,242 Stodgell Apr. 6, 1915 2,372,281 Jordan Mar. 27, 1945 10 2,597,483 Head May 20, 1952 2,741,385 Raiche Apr. 10, 1956 

